Well-packer.



PATBNTED MAR. 10, 1908.

L.B. ROBINSON.

WELL PACKER.

APPLIoATIoN FILED 15.131.190?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

o.. wuumaran. v. c.

. LAWRENCE E. ROBINSON, OF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA.

WELL-PACKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 10, 1908.

Application led March 7, 1907. Serial No. 361,105.

l'o all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, LAWRENCE E. ROBIN- soN, a resident of Butler, inthe county of Butler 'and State of Pennsylvania, have inventedjcertainnew and useful Improve ments irli'Well-Packers,l of which the followingis a specification.

One object of this invention is to. provide improved means for holdingcompressed or packed in set position the rubber annulus of a deep wellpacker, whereby it cannot be dislodged by the expansive force of therubber, or by any means other than that under the control of theoperator.

A further object is to provide a double packer, that is-two packerswhich may be separated any' desiredi distance, being connected by anintervening tubing, whereby a well may be packed in two places at oneand the same time. An instance of this use would be that ofvshutting ina water bearing stratum entering either an oil or gas well, one packerbeing located above the water and the other below it.

A further purpose is to so arrange the packers that when setting thelower packer the upper packer operates as a rigid part or section ofthetubing by means of which the packer is manipulated, means being providedor manipulating the upper packer so as to set 1t 1n an effective mannerafter the lower packer has been set. Conversely, in removmg the packers,the mechanism operates to first lrelease the upper packer, and then theloweiacker so that both can be removed from t fe well.

Still a'further purpose of the invention is to provide improved meansfor inserting the packerin a well, which means may be connected anddisconnected at the pleasure of the operator. Thus, after setting thedouble packer in an instance like that above recited for shutting inwater, or after setting a single packer, the letting-in mechanisn'i maybe removed from thewell, so that, so far as manipulating the packer isconcerned, it is unneces- 'sary to leave a line of tubing 1n the well.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a vertical sectional View ofthe double packer, partly broken away, showing the lower packer set andthe upper packer ex )anded or unset. Fig. 2 is a similar4 view, showingboth packersset. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the letting-in. devicetogether with the upper extremity of the packer to which it connects.Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the upper packer,illustrating the internal construction thereof, and the relativepositions of the internal arts of the fixed and movable portions of tiiepacker. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, enlarged, of the ortion ofthe mechanism shown in Fig. 4, ,us-

and Fig. l2 is a sectional view of the lower extremity of the packershown in'Fi 11 when the same is utilized as a lug pac er.

Referring to the drawings2 esignates the I tubular body of the lowerpacker, having col-. lar 3 secured to its upper end.

4 designates the lower head or sleeve through which body 2 moves, and 5is'the 'Y rubber annulus which is compressed between sleeves 3 and 4'.

The lower portion of body 2 carries the anchor mechanism which consistsof ring 6 slidable on body 2 and provided with the upwardlyprojectingspring arms or reins 7 having the slips or wedges 8 at their upper endswhich secure sleeve 4 to the well wall, as in Figs. 1, 2 and 9. Alsosecured to rings ^.Fig. 10 isa view 11 is a 6 are the outwardly bowedsprings 9 which engage the sides of the hole and oHer resistance to thedownward movement of the packer.v It is therefore necessary to providemeans for holding ring 6 depressed on body 2, with slips 8 out ofholding or wedging position, as in Fig. 7, while the packer is beinglowered. This holding means consists of a spring arm 10 secured at itsupper end to one of reins 7 and carrying a pin 11 which is mov ablethrough an aperture inring 6 and enters groove 2 in body 2, as in Fig.7, thereby preventing the body from moving downward in said ring. Thetop face of groove 2 forms a right angle shoulder, while the lowerportion thereof tapers downwardly and outwardly, as shown. Hence, whilebody 2 cannot lower past the groove so long as the pin 1s lodgedtherein, the beveled lower face of the groove will permit the body tofreely rise. I Hinged to the lower extremity of arm 10 1s latch 12,which 1s normally in downwardly turned position, as in Fig. 7, withspring 10 pressing inward and holding pin 11 in groove 2.

"When the packer structure is lowered in the well into the position inwhich it is to be set, its movement is reversed, or in other Words, itis raised slightly, and as ring 6 and the spring arms and slips carriedthereby are held from raising by springs 9, packer body 2 moves upwardthrough the ring, and causes foot piece 13 to turn latch 12 inward andupward against ring 6, as in Fig. 8, thus holding spring 1() deflectedoutward and preventing pin 11 from catching in groove 2 when the packerbody 2 is again lowered, as in Fig. 9. Thus, collar 4 lowers and expandsslips 8, and theanchoring of the packer is made complete.v When loweringbody 2 from the position shown in Fig. 8 to that of Fig. 9, groove 2catches the upturned latch and turns it downward, so that when next theanchorage is released by raising body 2 and collar 4 (the latter fromslips 8), pin 11 will again spring into groove 2 when it comes in linetherewith, and the mechanism will be in its original adjustment as whenbeing lowered in the well, and cannot be again set.

without first raising, then lowering body 2,

as above described. By this means the packer may be removed, or itsposition shifted as may be desired.

The inner wall `of collar 4 is formed with channel 14, and confined inopposite portions thereof are the inwardly pressing toothed dogs 15which engage the series of ratchet-teeth 16, formed on opposite portionsof body 2. Thus, when the packer is entered in the well and collar 4anchored, pressure from above depresses body 2, and com resses therubber between collars 3 and 4. uring this movement teeth 16 slip pastdogs 15, and the latter prevent any upward movement of the body. Thepacker is thus permanently held in set position and the expansive forceof the rubber cannot be exerted to dislodge it, nor can it be dislodgedfrom below by anything short of a. wrecking pressure.

To remove the bottom packer, it is only necessary to turn its body 2 atright angles to the position in which it is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 11,thus disengaging teeth 16 from the dogs, and with the dogs then pressingagainstthe intervening smooth surface of the body the latter may bedrawn upward, releasing the rubber, when the packer may be removed.

While the foregoing description has been in connection with the lowerpacker of a double packer structure, its operation is the same as whenused as a single wall packer as in Fig. 11, the only ditlerence beingthat in the latter case a special form of letting-in collar 17 issubstituted for collar 3, the construction and operation of which willbe channel. yt gage the outer surface of body 22 and mesh fwith thevertical serles of ratchet-teeth 29 presently described. A cap 18, Fig.12, mav displace foot 13, Fig. 11, when the single packer is used as aplug packer for permanently closing a well.

Referring again to the double packer structure, collar 3 of the lowerpacker is connected by tubing 19 of any required length with bottomcollar 20 of the upper packer, and ex? tending from this collar is thetubular casing or body 2l through which the upper packer body 22 moves.rlhe upper extremity of casing 2l forms the lower abutment for therubber 23, while secured to the upper end of body'22 is one of thecollars 17.

The upper portion of casing 21 has its inner face channeled at 24, thelower portion of the channel being inclosed by the inclined lip portion25. Mounted in opposite sides of channel 24 are toothed dogs 26 whichtilt inward over lip 25, being normally so held by springs 27. Lip 25operates to confine the dogs within channel 24, while a in 28, which thelower end of each dog embraces, prevents the dog from moving around inthe These spring-pressed dogs 26 enformed in opposite portions of thel'latter when the body is so turned as to engage the same. At othertimes, the smooth surfaces of the body intermediate teeth-series 29 arelalined with the dogs, and the body may be' moved vertically as required.

Arranged at right angles to teeth-series 29 are opposite depressions ornotches 30 in body 22, which when the upper packer is unset, are turnedto be engaged by dogs 26, as shown in Fig. 1, thus preventing depressionol body 22 in casing 21. Carried by the lower portion of body 22 is theannular ring or enlargement 31 formed with opposite vertical slots 32.Casing 21 is formed with the annular internal shoulder 33, and beneaththis shoulder are. the opposite inwardly projecting pins 34 which formstops for ring 32 when the packer is being drawn upward, but rotation ofthe packer body is notl prevented until slots 32 of the ring registerwith pins 34, when the ring is raised into engagement with shoulder 33and the packer body held against independent rotation.

The operations of setting and removing the double packer are as follows:When being inserted in the well, the upper packer structure is in theadjustment shown in Fig. 1, with dogs 26 in engagement with notches 30,thus preventing the upper packer from collapsing. After the lower packerhas been anchored in the manner heretofore described, the weight of thestructure above, augmented if necessary by pressure, compresses Y inmechanism is given a half-rotation which operates to disengage `the dogs26 from notches 30, and alines teeth series 29 with said dogs. `Thus vbyexerting downward pressure, the latter is collapsed and body 22 rigidlyheld in downward position by the dogs. For removing the double packerstructure from the well, upper packer body 22 is given a half turn whichdisengages teeth 29 from dogs 26, when body 22 may be turned upward,relaxing and releasing the upper rubber 23. upward pull on body 22 thelatter is turned until ring-notches 32 interlock with pins 34, as indotted lines in Fig. 4, preventing further independent rotation of saidbody. A further turning ol body 22 therefore results in the turning alsoof casing 21 with which it is interlOcked, this turning connectingtubing 19, and body 2 of thel lower packer. This movement disengagesteeth 16 thereof from dogs 15, whereupon the lower packer body is freeto move upward, releasing the rubber, and permitting the whole structureto be removed from the well. While spring dogs and ratchet mechanism ofthe upper and lower packers have been separately described and numbered,they are identical, as are also the teeth on the packer bodies whichcooperate with them.

In order to manipulate the packer v. ithout providing a permanentoperating tulV ing extending to the top of the v. ell, it is necessaryto provide an operating means which may be connected u ith anddisconnected from the packer at v` ill, and which when connected may beoperated to turn the packer as required in the setting and releasingoperations. Under many conditions it is absolutely necessary to providea detachable operating means, and under other conditions-it is highlydesirable as a matter of economy, an instance of the latter being thesetting of a plug packer in a shut-in Well. 'l`o this end, I provide thespecial form of collar 17 at the upper end of the upper packer, thiscollar having its interior flared upA ardly and outwardly as shonn, andprovided at opposite sides u ith pin-holes 35. 36 is the lower extremityof a string of letting-in tubing having secured thereto head 37, taperedto enter the flared upper end of collar 17. Movable through openings inopposite sides of heads 37 are pins or bolts 38 secured to the lowerextremities of the upwardly bowed spring 39. The arms of this spring areformed with lateral bends or oil-sets 39', the upper portion of thespring being narrow er or smaller than its lou er portion. The springsoperate to hold pins 3S normally projected and entered in holes 35 ofcollar 17, thus interlocking the letting-in mechanism and the packer,and enabling the latter to be turned as required. To connect theletting-in mechanism with a packer set in a well, said mechan- Then,while exerting an` ism is simply lowered, pins 38being held projected bythe spring. When head 37 enters collar 17, pins 38 are pressed inw arduntil the head has been turned sufficiently to cause them to register uith holes 35, vshen the' spring forces them outvard and locks the partstogether.

1^.4 hile the packer is being let into the well and while it is beingset, the upper bowed end of spring is embraced by the invertedcup-shaped device 10, which rests on offsets 3Q', as shown in .Fig 2. Todisengage the letting-in device a n eight 41 is dropped through casing36 and drives device 40 down over and contracts the spring, as shown inFig. 3, retractingpins 38 and releasing the hold on the packer.

I claim:

1. The combination with a well packer, of.

part, and spring pressed dogs-seated in the outer part u' hich theratchet teeth freely pass vv hen moving inward, but which so engage theteeth as to prevent -outward movement of the inner part.

5. A packer consisting of inner and outer telescoping parts with theinner part turnable in the outer part, vertical series of teeth on oneofthe arts interrupted by untoothed surfaces, anc spring-pressed dogs onthe other part adapted to engage either the untoothed or the toothedsurfaces according as the inner part is turned, and when in engagementu' ith the teeth adapted to prevent withdrawal of the inner part.

6. A packer consisting of inner and outer telescoping parts,spring-pressed dogs on the outer part, and vertical series of ratchetteeth on the inner part adapted to be engaged by the teeth, the innerpart having smooth surfaces between the teeth series, whereby when theteeth are turned out ofthe path of the dogs the outward movement of theinner part is unrestricted.

7. A packer consisting of inner and outer telescoping parts, the innerface of the outer part having a depression, dogs in the depression andsprings for pressing the dogs'toward the axial line of the outer part,stop means for holding the dogs from moving circumferentially in thedepression, and ratchet-teeth formed on the inner packer-part forengaging the dogs.

8. The combination of two connected packers, each packer consisting oftelescoping sections, -and means for anchoring the lower packer.

9. The combination of two connected packers, each packer consisting oftelescoping sections, means for anchoring the lower packer, and meansfor preventing the sections of the upper packer from collapsing whilesetting the lower packer.

10. The combination of two connected packers, each packer consisting oftelescoping sections, means for anchoring the lower packer, means forpreventing the sections of the u per packer from telescoping whilesetting t ie lower packer, and means for locking the sections of theupper packer in telescop# ing relation after said packer has been set.

11. The combination of two connected packers, each packer consisting oftelescoping sections-one turnable within the other, spring-pressed dogscarried by one section of each of the packers, and the other section ofeach packer having vertical series of ratchet eeth interrupted byvertical smooth suraces.

12. The combination of two connected packers, means for anchoring thelower packer, each packer consisting of telescoping sections, op ositespring-piressed dogs on one section of t 1e upper pac er with the othersection of said packer formed with notches adapted to be engaged by thedogs for preventing collapsing oi the upper packer when setting thelower packer.

13. The combination of two connected packers, means for anchoring thelower packer, each packer consisting of telescoping sections,spring-pressed dogs mounted on the outer section of the upper packer,the inner section thereof having vertical series of teeth on oppositesides with vertical smooth surfaces intervening between theteeth-series, the smooth surfaces each having a notch in its lowerportion.

.14. The combination of two connected packers, means for anchoring thelower packer, each acker consisting of telescoping sections, mec anismfor each packer operatk ing when the sections are turned into certainrelation to each other to prevent withdrawal of the inner section, andmeans for preventing the sections of the upper packer from turning oneon the other when turning the inner section of the lower packer.

15. The combination of two packers each consisting of telescoping innerand outer sections, tubing connecting the outer section of the upperpacker with the inner section of lower packer, the inner sections beingturnable in the outer sections, ratchet mechanism for each packeroperating to prevent longitudinal movement of the outer part when thesections are turned in certain relation, the outer sectionof the upperpacker having internal inward projections, and an enlargement at thelower end oi the inner section of the upper packer adapted to bearupward against said projections with recesses in the enlargement forembracing the projections and holding the inner section from turning.

17. In anchor mechanism for a packer, the combination of a packer body,a slip carrier movable vertically thereon, wall-engaging springs securedto the carrier, laterally springing slips extending upwardly from thecarrier, a collar on the body above the slips for spreading the latter,a vertical spring movable with thecarrier, the spring being secured atits upper end and free at its lower end, a pin adapted to be held by thes ring in engagement with the packer body'w en the packer is movingdownward, a latch pivoted to the lower end of the spring, and a latchturning device at the lower end of the packer body operating when thepacker body is raised to turn the latch inward and move the spring andpin outward.

1.8. The combination of a grooved packer body, a slip-expanding collarthereon, a carrier slidable on the body, slip bearing spring armsextending upwardly from the carrier, a spring movable with the carrierand free at its lower end, a pin secured to the spring and movable.through an aperture in the carrier and adapted to enter the body-Groove,a latch pivoted to the lower end of the spring, and a shoe at the lowerend of the body adapted to turn the latch inward and defleet the springoutward,-the parts operating as herein described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature Y in presence of twowitnesses.

LAIVRENCE E. ROBINSON. litnesses J. M. NEsBrr, J No. J. FITZGERALD.

